


Take Me Home

by milkfr0g



Series: RGB and Those In-Between [2]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Child Death, Gen, Gender-Neutral Chara, Murder, flashback sequences
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-28
Updated: 2016-04-27
Packaged: 2018-05-23 16:17:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,248
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6122218
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/milkfr0g/pseuds/milkfr0g
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"On one hand we could stay trapped in the empty Ruins for the rest of eternity with no one other than Toriel. On the other, we take every risk we can to get home again."</p><p>A human with a power called Determination will do anything to return home, but when they're overwhelmed with memories of previous timelines the hope may begin to fade from their eyes.<br/>The events of this arc take place immediately after the events of The Lost Human Returns.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Fake

  
  
They woke up on their back in a patch of golden flowers. Opening their eyes, they grabbed the soil in their hands and felt it stick to their fingers. An icy draft spilled onto their chest from above, bringing pain into their lungs with sharp breaths.  
  
"I'm alive," they whispered. They brought themself to their feet and picked off some of the flower seed pods that had stuck to their sweater. Picking up a large stick off the ground, they then beckoned the flowers farewell, jokingly thanking them for breaking their fall from above. The dark corridor ahead greeted them with dead silence as they entered. They hummed and tapped the stick along the wall as they walked forward, the dried leaves and weeds growing through the cracks in the tile crunching under their boots.  
  
"Howdy!" a tiny, cheerful voice called. They grinned at the sound. "I'm Flowey the Flower! As if you didn't already know, Chara," it teased. They spun around to face the lively golden flower.  
  
"Aw, how'd you know it was me? Usually I have to kill a few people before you guess," they sang.  
  
"It's because you're so cheerful this early on," he answered. "Frisk would never-- Woah!" The flower ducked underground as Chara's stick came flying at him. When he resurfaced they stomped toward him.  
  
_"Don't you dare say that name!"_ they screamed. Flowey cowered in response. Chara knelt in front of him, bringing their face close to his petals. "I'm sorry, Azzy. I didn't mean to raise my voice," they whispered while stroking the flower gently.  
  
"Hello? Is somebody there?" a voice called.  
  
"Dammit," they grumbled under their breath, grabbing for the stick once more. Flowey ducked back under the ground as a tall figure entered the hall. Chara stood up and composed themself, ready to greet the woman coming toward them.  
  
"Oh my, you must be very confused," she said. "I am Toriel. I come here every day to see if anyone has fallen down here. You are the first-"  
  
"Right, yeah, whatever," they interrupted.  
  
"Excuse me?"  
  
"Ah," Chara covered their mouth. "Wait, no, I'm sorry. I'm just-- Nevermind."  
  
"All right then," Toriel continued with her usual speech as they proceeded forward. How she was the caretaker of the Ruins, explaining puzzles, so on and so forth, and Chara really couldn't be bothered to listen again. It was the same exact speech every single time. Hearing it again made them sick to their stomach.  
  
"Psst, hey, Chara!" Flowey whispered from behind them. They tilted their head to glare at him.  
  
"Shh, wait until she leaves," they ordered. As they turned their head back to the front, a frog monster about the size of a small dog hopped in front of them. The same one from every single other time they'd been through this hall. Toriel didn't seem to notice and continued walking forward, so Chara quietly ushered the monster into a corner where they brought the stick they were carrying down on its head. Over and over they hit the terrified monster until it stopped moving and faded into white dust.  
  
It never got any easier, that first one, but the poor, miserable creature was free now. A wave of relief came over them as a familiar feeling rushed into their soul: LOVE. They patted the dust off their hands on the back of their pants and hurried to catch up to Toriel. The caretaker was standing in front of a puzzle consisting of several large spikes jutting up haphazardly from the ground.  
  
"Ah, my child," she said, turning to face Chara. "This puzzle seems a bit dangerous, so please take my hand." They obliged, and the two of them walked through the puzzle together. Chara knew the puzzle wasn't actually dangerous, it only looked intimidating. There was a failsafe installed to make sure one would always choose the correct path without getting hurt. When they thought about it, they realized most of the puzzles in the underground were set up this way. How useless. Did they want to kill humans or not?  
  
The thought almost distracted them from how warm, how _safe_ holding Toriel's hand made them feel. Her white fur felt incredibly soft between their fingers, and had they not caught themself Chara would have gripped her hand tighter.  
  
They had to stay focused. This was not the Toriel they knew. The Toriel they knew wouldn't have run away from the Capital, wouldn't have left Asgore on his own. The Toriel they knew was a monarch. Their Toriel was powerful. Their Toriel was loved and respected by the people. Their Toriel... _their mother was not a coward._  
  
They continued on, Chara impatiently half-listening to her ramble the same words they'd heard so many times before. Flowey was following close behind, being careful to stay out of sight. Finally, Toriel left them on their own with an old cell phone.  
  
"Man, I thought she'd _never_ leave!" Flowey groaned with exhasperation as he popped up from between two pieces of tile. Chara sat down and leaned against a wall, tapping their fingers on the ground to the tune of their humming.  
  
"So what's your plan this time, Chara?" They stopped humming and looked at Flowey for a moment before their phone began to ring. Toriel, of course. She was making sure they had not left the room yet. They ended the call as soon as they knew she was done speaking.  
  
"The plan is to get the hell out of here," they told him. "I'm tired of being surrounded by fakes, aren't you?"  
  
"I guess they do get pretty boring after a while," he chimed back. Chara got to their feet and began to proceed through the Ruins.

  
Everything was exactly the same as every other timeline. _Well, with the exception of whatever that last one was,_ Chara thought to themself. They weren't going to let something like that happen again. How their body had even managed to get to the surface in the first place was a mystery, but it wasn't one they'd have to be concerned with as long as they didn't fail again. As long as that imposter didn't try to come back. As long as --  
  
_No, don't think of that name! It's me, Chara, and nobody else._  
  
They scratched at their arms, their nerves stinging their skin like crazy. While Chara was distracted with scratching they tripped into a line of slime monsters. The idea of gaining more LOVE was an appealing tradeoff to the scratching, so they covered their face with the sleeve of their sweater to avoid inhaling spores while they beat the slimes.  
  
When the things were no more than dust they continued onward, until their pocket began to ring loudly. Chara jumped and almost screamed out loud. They were still so antsy about the previous timeline that they'd forgotton Toriel would be calling them several times. They already knew what she was going to say when they answered.  
  
"Which do you prefer? Cinnamon or butterscotch? Wait, do not tell me. Is it cinnamon?"  
  
_What?!_ Chara was shocked. _No, it's not cinnamon!_ At least, it wasn't _supposed_ to be cinnamon. They had never once told her that they preferred cinnamon. Had she just forgotten? _No, that's impossible._ This Toriel was just a broken record; she hears one thing, remembers it, and repeats it back every timeline without fail. With nobody else around to tell her _cinnamon_ , there was no way she could suddenly come to that conclusion. Unless...did the imposter change something in that messed up timeline?  
  
"My child?" Toriel inquired.  
  
"Um, yeah, it's cinnamon all right," Chara lied. They had never had to tell Toriel 'no' before. Even if this one was a fake, it would probably be a bad habit to start getting into. After ending the call, they only made it about two more steps forward before the damn phone rang again. They groaned with frustration before answering.

* * *

  
Several phone calls and just as much LOVE later, Chara found themself tying an old, faded ribbon they'd found on the ground into their hair.  
  
"Cute, right?" they asked Flowey. He stared at them for a moment before letting out a snicker.  
  
"Yeah, okay," he rolled his eyes while he giggled.  
  
"Shut up! As long as I look this cute, monsters won't hit me as hard!" They stuck out their chest with pride and flipped their hair.  
  
"Chara," Flowey stopped laughing, "you're gonna have to wait until Snowdin for that. There's nobody left here except _her._ " Chara stared at Flowey for a moment, gathering their thoughts in the total silence that had overcome the Ruins. They gripped the stick in their hand, now realizing how its wear made it so it no longer dragged on the floor. It was covered in fine, white dust. The same dust also coated Chara's hands and stuck to their clothes. The threw the stick to the ground and tried to brush the dust off themself, sending it flying in all directions around them.  
  
"Aw, Chara! _Gross!_ Don't do that!" Flowey coughed and retreated underneath the floor.  
  
When Chara finally brushed away enough dust to be satisfied, they leaned against a wall and took a deep breath. _Why is this more difficult than usual?_ they wondered. Could it have something to do with that last timeline? Or was it...an even earlier one? They began to scratch their arms once more. What were they doing here? Chara couldn't remember. Their breathing quickened and they gripped their arms, fingernails digging into their skin.  
  
_"F-Frisk?"_ they whispered aloud.  
  
  
_..._

  
_..._

  
_But nobody came._  
  
  
Chara put their hand to their head and took a deep breath. Then they laughed. Of course nobody came. Who was Frisk? Chara laughed harder when they asked themself that question. They were gasping, nearly in tears by the time they finally calmed down. They rubbed their face before heading toward the overlook where they knew a better weapon than their broken stick would be.  
  
The knife may have been plastic but it was was poorly made, revealing sharp edges along the seam. It scratched Chara when they ran their hand along the blade, enough that a small, pink welt began to form. They smiled and rushed to Toriel's house.  
  
The first thing they recognized was the big, black tree. It was always surrounded by the beautiful red leaves it grew, though the branches were always bare. Of all the times Chara had seen the tree they had never figured out why every new leaf it produced immediately died and fell off, not that they even bothered to investigate.  
  
The phone rang once before they saw Toriel hurrying to them.  
  
"How did you get here, my child? Are you all right? I'll heal you." She reached out for their hand, but Chara recoiled in response.  
  
"I'm fine," they told her.  
  
"Nonsense," Toriel argued. "Even a tiny scratch like that can develop an infection." She reached out to Chara once more. Seeing no other choice, they held out their scratched hand for the caretaker to heal.  
  
"Come now, my child. I have a surprise for you," Toriel insisted as she moved toward the house.  
  
_Oh boy, I have no idea what it could possibly be._


	2. Restless

Toys.  
Kids' shoes.  
An empty photo frame.  
  
Everything was exactly the same. It was all _exactly_ where it was programmed to be. The bucket of snails, the bad jokes, the filed-down gardening tools. All of these things drove Chara mad. Not a single inconsistency to be found. If they could find one, maybe _just one_ thing out of place, there would be reason to believe the world they found themself in was not what they thought.  
  
Nothing. Even down to Chara's old broken crayons in the drawer in the hall. Even in this world, Toriel still may have thought about them. A tiny smile slipped across their mouth just for a second before they shook their head.  
  
_No,_ they thought to themself, _don't forget. Remember what happened inside the barrier. Something went wrong. Something was erased. Something--_  
  
Their thoughts were cut off by Toriel stepping into the hall.  
  
"Oh, I see you are up from your nap already. The pie should be cooled off by now if you would like a slice." Chara nodded.  
  
"I'll," they paused, thinking of what to say. "In a minute," was all they could manage to choke out.  
  
"Take your time then," Toriel insisted. "I'll be reading by the fireside if you need me." When she left the hall, Chara walked to the other end and looked in the mirror. They already knew what they were going to see. Their appearance was altered in this world. Straight, reddish-brown hair was replaced by wavy chocolate locks, though still the same length. Scarred, porcelain skin had been exchanged for a dark caramel, smooth and unmarred. Even their eyes were darker. No matter, it was still them, Chara.  
  
  
The pie was the same as always. Well, almost. There was noticeably more cinnamon than other timelines thanks to that bizarre cinnamon glitch, but that wasn't what mattered at this point. No, what mattered right now was that Chara had to get out of the Ruins. In order to do that...  
  
They stole a glance over to Toriel, who was quietly reading in her chair by the fireplace. Her peaceful expression made Chara's stomach turn. The atmosphere of the room had become disturbing in the silence. A weight was forming inside of them that made them sick. They couldn't stand the air of the fake Home any longer. Chara stood up and moved from the table and closer to Toriel.  
  
"Oh, what is it my child?" Her voice was as calm and soothing as ever. "Would you like to hear about the book I am reading?"  
  
_Of course I don't._  
  
"72 Uses for Snails?" Chara snickered. "I don't think I'll ever need--"  
  
Their words caught in their throat when they saw the cover of the book in her hands.  How to Keep Your Rebellious Teen Safe. She wasn't reading the cockamamy snail book? It was another glitch, another inconsistency. As far as they knew this shouldn't be possible. They'd been through so many timelines that had all been exactly the same.  
  
"Actually this one is far more interesting, although if you'd like I could find 72 Uses for Snails for you," Toriel offered. "Wait. How do you know about that book? Is there perhaps a similar book on the surface?"  
  
_No there isn't,_ Chara thought. "72 Uses for Snails" was a rare book even for the Underground. Toriel's copy was written and hand-bound by old ghost 'Blook themself. Chara hated the snail ranch. In fact, they just hated live snails in general. Eating them was one thing, but seeing them before they were harvested was another. The way they slowly slithered forward dragging their shells along pathetically, like they were going to be torn in half by the weight of their investments. They remembered an instance when Asriel had placed a snail on their bare leg when they weren't paying attention. Chara screamed so loud that echo flowers a mile away had picked up on it. The memory sent shudders down their spine.  
  
"My child? You look a bit pale," Toriel distracted them from the thought of snail slime.  
  
"It's nothing." They moved back to the table and sat in front of their half-eaten pie, picking up the fork and stabbing into their next bite. Toriel resumed her reading and the silence crept into the room once more. Chara tapped the fork on their plate while they chewed in an attempt to make the air a little more tolerable. When they finished the pie they headed toward the kitchen with their plate. Toriel was quick to notice, following them as they placed the dish in the sink along with other cookwares and utensils.  
  
"I'll take care of these," she assured them. "You make yourself at home now."  
  
Chara returned to the childrens' room and stared at the empty photo frame on the dresser for a moment. Their mind couldn't focus. It felt like the world was falling apart. A world they had come to know so well with every last specific detail programmed to be the same was suddenly changing, and they didn't know what to think about it.  
  
So they tried to think nothing about it. So what if there were a couple of inconsistencies? The imposter was still there. Chara's new features were proof of that, and the imposter was proof that this world was the fake world. They grabbed the toy knife from the bed and stuffed it in the pocket of their shorts before making their way to the front door.  
  
The air outside wasn't exactly fresh, but it was better than being stuck in the house. Chara made their way over to the bare tree in the courtyard and laid a hand on it.  
  
"Golly, you're still here?" Flowey popped out of the ground next to the tree. "Shouldn't you be busy dusting everyone?"  
  
He was right. It was the only way to get them home again. All they had to do was purge everything in this timeline. If they could make it to the end, the two of them could reclaim their souls and go home. Chara had been given so many chances already. This timeline could very well be their last.  
  
So, without a word to Flowey, they staggered back into the house and into the kitchen. Toriel was at the sink, scrubbing away at a mixing bowl. Chara gripped at the fabric of the pocket the toy knife was concealed in. They rocked on their heels, considering their options. _Ha,_ they laughed at themself in silence, _what options? On one hand we could stay trapped in the empty Ruins for the rest of eternity with no one other than Toriel. On the other, we take every risk we can to get home again. It should be obvious._  
  
Chara reached into their pocket, gripped the handle of the plastic knife, and exhaled. This had to be it. They already had enough LV to do it. Why were they hesitating? Their hand shook as they pulled the knife out of their pocket. This was just the first step, the biggest hurdle on their path to home.  
  
This Toriel wasn't...  
  
...wasn't their...  
  
_This Toriel was not their--_  
  
"Hey, Mom?" Chara trembled for a moment. Toriel lost her grip on the bowl she was scrubbing and it clattered in the sink. They noticed the second she dropped her guard.  
  
They took the opportunity.  
  
And the LV that rushed into them was such a relief. It was just what they needed to help keep them warm in the snow outside of the Ruins.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here we go again. You know who's coming up next. ;D


	3. Remember

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Over the river and through the woods to Snowdin Town we go~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anyone have any suggestions for what I could use as a substitute for red text? I'd like to emphasize certain lines of dialogue, but I'm not sure what to do without the red text hrrrmmm...

  
Chara waited at the bridge, and he showed up exactly as expected.  
  
"Human."  
  
_Yep, that's me._ Chara turned around and grabbed his hand in their own if only to get his stupid whoopee cushion joke out of the way already, and even if they hadn't meant to, they glared at him. His stupid, forced grin fell ever so slightly when he looked into their eyes. The two stood in silence for a few seconds.  
  
"Uh, okay. Everyone's got their own sense of humor I guess."  
  
The truth was that if this had been their first time meeting Sans, Chara probably would have laughed. If they hadn't already learned to hate him the joke would have been funny.  
  
"I'm Sans. You got a name, kid?"  
  
That question. He wasn't supposed to ask that. Chara shook their head vehemently, and they saw the lights in the skeleton's eyes burn out.  
  
_He knows._  
  
"Sans!" a familiar voice called. An all-too-well acquainted figure bounded toward them. "Have you found a human yet?!" he demanded.  
  
"Yeah," Sans replied, his voice flat and devoid of enthusiasm. Before Chara even had a chance to react, Papyrus practically sprinted away for what they could only believe must have been to prepare for their arrival ahead. When they turned around to face Sans once again, he too was walking away in the opposite direction without a word. Chara all too quickly found themself alone in the back of Snowdin Forest. They sighed.  
  
"Well," they muttered to themself, "I guess there's work to do."

 

* * *

  
So they killed again. Poor Snowy. They knew that miserable kid had run away from home after his mother died. Why does that matter? _He's free now and I'm getting more LV out of it. It's a win-win. I even went out of my way to  laugh at his horrible pun before dusting him._  
  
Chara moved forward and caught sight of the skeleton brothers in a clearing. They hurried their pace to catch up to them. When they made it to the clearing, Papyrus began to give his usual speech about the puzzles he had planned out for them.  
  
"Hey wait a minute, you look familiar," he suddenly changed the topic. Chara shook their head at him.  
  
"I don't know what you're talking about," they told him. "I'm from the surface."  
  
"No, I feel like I've definitely met you before!" Papyrus insisted. Chara couldn't help but laugh as they reached up to their left arm.  
  
"Okay, if you insist then!" they snickered. They laughed harder and dug their nails into their skin when Sans' eyes went dark again.  
  
"What's your name, human?" The taller skeleton's voice was too gentle. He cared too much for his own good. Chara stopped laughing.  
  
"Don't have one."  
  
"Ooh, so we have to guess!"  
  
_Dammit, Papyrus that's not how this works!_ They didn't have time for this, they needed more LV to get out of that place. Picking up their pace once more, they made their way past the skeleton brothers. Before they managed to pass, Sans caught them by the back of their sweater.  
  
_"Don't be a dirty liar, now,"_ he growled in a low whisper. Chara made a weak attempt to brush his hand away. He let go and they hurried forward.  
  
There was no time to think, and the air of Snowdin Forest was starting to get to them. They had trouble gripping the plastic knife because their fingers had gone numb from the cold. Was there a dog yipping beyond the trees? Chara didn't even know.  Eventually they reached another clearing where the skeleton brothers were waiting for them.  
  
"Sans, I swear I know that person!" Papyrus insisted.  
  
"Don't be ridiculous, Paps, you don't even know their name," Sans argued back.  
  
"Sure I do! It's uh, it's..."  
  
Chara was through listening to the two brothers bicker amongst themselves. They entered the clearing and prepared themselves to walk past them, this time being more careful to avoid Sans.  
  
"I think it's, Dara?" As the words left Papyrus, Chara slipped on a pile of snow and went crashing to the ground. Both skeletons turned to look at them in surprise, Papyrus being the one to rush to their aid.  
  
"Are you all right, human?" he asked, offering his hand which they promptly slapped away.  
  
_"DON'T TOUCH ME!"_ they cried, scrambling to make sure the knife didn't slip out of their pocket. Over his shoulder they could see Sans glaring at them, his eye lit by blue magic. Chara dragged themself to their feet and sprinted away from the skeleton brothers.  
  
Their stomach felt like it was being churned inside of a washing machine. When they finally stopped running they steadied themself on a nearby pine. They gritted their teeth. The inconsistencies in the Ruins were hard enough to deal with, now Papyrus had to be difficult. In their frustration Chara kicked a pile of snow as hard as they could. Something inside of the mound cracked and skidded across the ground a few feet away.  
  
_What the hell?_ They walked over to the object they had kicked and bent down to observe it. Their eyes widened when they realized what it was. A camera had been hidden in that pile of snow. Someone was watching them.  
  
They knew who it was.  
  
They knew that she couldn't do anything to stop them.  
  
So Chara continued on.  
  
Two more of the Royal Guard's canine's came after them as programmed. They knew to take out the female first, so the male would stop attacking. However, before she was no more than dust, Chara found some enjoyment out of dancing in between the dogs' axes. When it was over they were just a little bit disappointed.  
  
They continued on, passing by several puzzles that had been deactivated. They couldn't help but wonder if maybe they _would_ enjoy the puzzles if they tried, like Sans had told them to so many timelines ago. That was before they found out who Sans really was. Still, they found themself to be a little more curious than usual.  
  
"Turn all of the X's into O's," Chara recited. They remembered the rules from previous timelines. Carefully, they stepped onto one of the spots marked as X to see if it would work. When they put their weight on it, sure enough it turned into an O. The puzzle was working, but it wouldn't unlock anything.  
  
_Why am I doing this?_ Chara wondered. There really wasn't any reason for them to try to solve the puzzle. Sans and Papyrus wouldn't praise them this time. The two weren't even there to watch them attempt it. Even if they had been, would Chara have even attempted the puzzle then? Or would they have just acted cocky, using the switch on a nearby pine tree that solved the puzzle automatically? The whole damn thing was just a waste of time.  
  
Chara finally managed to tear themself away from the puzzle and move on. They came to another dense part of the forest and crossed a small bridge. Waiting for them on the other side was Sans. They grinned.  
  
"You here to be my escort? How sweet," they sang. Sans stood motionless, his false grin never faltering. The two stared at each other in silence for a few moments before Chara was uncomfortable enough to move on again. They started to walk past him.  
  
"Hey, kid," Sans grunted. Chara froze. "Stay the hell away from my brother. If you wanna see Asgore I'll take ya right to him, right now. Then my job will be done with. Whaddya say?" They didn't have anything to say, not to him at least. If they could, they'd kill him on the spot. Then _their_ job would be done with. They could continue their purge, waltz into the castle, take their and Asriel's souls, and _go home._ That was exactly what Sans was trying to prevent them from doing. Without a word, Chara continued to walk away from him.

 

* * *

  
After what felt like an eternity and another dog, Chara finally made it to the final bridge before Snowdin town. The royal scientist had for sure ordered an evacuation at this point, she always did. It was sad, really, that a single human child could threaten an entire society. The idea by itself made Chara giggle.  
  
"Howdy, Chara!" a familiar voice rang. After following them throughout their trek, Flowey finally decided to make an appearance. His tone shifted from cheer to concern when they turned to face him. "You, uh, look like you've been busy." They looked down at their clothes, and their giggle erupted into full-blown laughter. Chara was covered in dust to the point where it was caked under their fingernails and some even stuck in their hair.  
  
_"I, I guess so,"_ they managed to wheeze out between laughs.  
  
"Are you sure this is what you wanna do, Chara?"  
  
They stopped laughing.  
  
"Don't you want to go home?" they interrogated.  
  
"I..." Flowey looked at the ground, then back at his best friend. "I don't know anymore, Chara. Isn't this world good enough? I mean, we're both right here, right now. We can live here together, can't we?" He bent his stem, acting out a makeshift shrug.  
  
"Azzy, we both know you can't stay in that body. I can get your soul back. As long as I can make it to the capital I can get both of our souls back. We can go home!"  
  
"Whatever you say, Chara," Flowey sighed. "I just think staying here..." he paused for a few moments, "staying here might be better than watching you die again." Before Chara had a chance to respond, Flowey had already ducked back beneath the soil. They kicked the snow beneath their feet toward where he'd been.  
  
"Stupid," they muttered to themself, then crossed the bridge to face the empty town that lay before them. Well, almost empty; that one monster kid stayed behind again. When Chara saw him they decided to take the tunnel instead of walking through the town.  
  
After travelling the length of the tunnel, the lights of a large house to their right caught their eye. They found themself drawn to it, and before even thinking about it they also found themself standing at the front door. Part of them wanted to knock, but why? What would they do if the door opened? Beg Sans to just lay down and die for them? He wasn't going to do that. The skeleton was already antsy enough that Chara would be lucky if he didn't kill them right there on his doorstep.  
  
They started to feel sick, remembering that they had given up in that exact spot once before. Two-- no...three timelines ago? Whenever the last time was that they actually had any control over the imposter, over their own fate. This time Chara would take complete control. No going back, they had already tried being friendly with the fakes.  
  
They trudged on. Several yards ahead they could see the thick fog of where the frigid air of Snowdin met the warm, sticky air of the marsh ahead. As they entered the fog they began to make out a figure. The closer Chara moved toward it, the louder their boots crunched under their feet where melting snow met loose gravel. The sudden change in temperature was making them lightheaded. When they nearly slipped the figure turned toward them, their face becoming clearer in the disappating fog. Chara kept shambling toward him as he stared at them unblinking, until they felt two hands on their shoulders.  
  
"D-don't touch me," they muttered.  
  
"I'm sorry," Papyrus apologized, "but I want to help you!" He gripped their shoulders tighter. Chara grabbed their arms and dug their nails through their sweater, staring at the ground. _Why was he trying so hard?_  
  
"Sans told me not to come here, that you're dangerous, but--" They cut him off by slapping his hands away. When they looked at him they did their best to try and smile, gritting their teeth.  
  
"He's not wrong," they stated.  
  
"But I know you can be great! You just need a great mentor, like me!" Papyrus insisted. "I can turn your life right around! Even the worst person can be good if they just try, and the Great Papyrus is sure you can't be the worst!"  
  
"Papyrus, _please,_ just stop," Chara begged. "Please just leave me alone or fight me."  
  
"I know you think the Great Papyrus is just going to capture you so I can join the Royal Guard, but I promise I really want to help you!"  
  
_**"Shut up!"**_ they shouted at him. Tears of frustration started welling up in their eyes. They should have been long gone from Snowdin by now, but they'd barely been able to move since Papyrus had touched them. As if he had read their mind, he put his hands on them once again.  
  
"Chara," he murmured. Their eyes widened and they looked up at him. "Did I guess right?" he smiled down at them. Of course he didn't remember, he was just well-programmed. The anxiety Chara got from the idea that he _could have remembered_ caused their knees to buckle under them. Papyrus immediately moved his hands under their arms to hold them up, eventually situating both of them in kneeling positions on the soaked gravel path.  
  
Sighing, Chara rested their forehead against Papyrus' chest. They were tired. They hadn't felt this tired since before they fell underground. Why was it so hard just to stick a knife in a few fakes and be done with it?

  
  
_Remember how easy it was before?_

  
  
_What a joke! What a loser!_

  
  
Their own words echoed in their head. Was there really a time when killing Papyrus was that easy? When killing  _anyone_ was that easy? They dug the toy knife out of their pocket and stared at it.  
  
"Maybe it's a good thing you don't remember," they told him. "You're the one who told me not to RESET, but..." Chara bit their lip and hugged the skeleton. He was surprisingly warm for a monster with no flesh, and he _hugged them back_. He was going to spare them again. Papyrus didn't have a drop of hate or resentment anywhere in his soul. It was too easy. So easy it made Chara sick.  
  
_"I have to save Asriel."_ They plunged the plastic knife into the backs of his ribs, listening to them crack as they were run through.  
  
And slowly, _ever so slowly,_ Papyrus faded into dust before them, partially dissolving into the melted snow.  
  
_I'm sorry Papyrus,_ Chara thought, taking in the sensation of silence around them yet again. The same silence they felt in the Ruins.  
  
_You didn't deserve that. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry._ What was even real anymore? He _felt_ real, but so did Toriel. The melted snow soaking through their leggings had made them uncomfortable enough to bring themself to their feet once more. Chara exhaled and tried to relax, focusing on the newly heightened concentration of LV in their system. Thinking about LV always made them feel better.  
  
Then a thought came to them. Why had Sans not once, not a single time, ever tried to spare his brother from death. They pondered it for a minute before they realized that sticking around to find out would probably not go in their favor.

  
  
_"I'm coming home, Asriel."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _"I've come undone  
>  I think I'll kill everyone  
> My, what have I done?  
> Fuck it! Let's kill everyone!"_
> 
> Jokes aside, does anyone actually wanna read about Undyne the Undying? Because I have made absolutely no plans for her. I'd really like to just do a small blurb or skip her altogether and move on to Mettaton, but I'd like opinions on this. I _will_ write Undyne if I get enough of a demand for her, but it might take a while (I've been writing judgement chapters, oops).


	4. Night Terror

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just wanted to make it known that I haven't abandoned this fic, it's just been a while since I've really had the urge, ya feel? So here's a tiny little something to help move things forward a little bit. This is far, _far_ from over and we have so many more feels to punch!

_It's not real. None of this is real._

  
_[I'm dreaming. I have to destroy the dream to wake up.]_

  
_I have to kill them, but..._

  
_[It'll be fun, Chara!]_

  
Chara woke up screaming. They felt as if the darkness in the room was consuming them. All they could hear was water rushing around their head. Their face was hot and heavy and they couldn't breathe. Their throat burned but they couldn't stop screaming as they grabbed at their arms and dug their nails into their skin.

  
They were still screaming when the light clicked on. When the door swung open. But when they felt arms much softer than their own, so warm and inviting wrapping around their body they stopped screaming. They inhaled with high-pitched wheezes as they continued to sob, and they threw their arms around their familiar.

  
"Seven..."

  
Inhale.

  
"Six..."

  
Exhale.

  
By the time he made it down to one Chara had completely calmed down, though they were still choking back soft sobs.

  
"It was just a dream, Chara. You're okay now," he reassured them rubbing his hands up and down their back.

  
"A-Azzy," they whined, tears streaming down their face and staining their best friend's fur. Fur...Asriel...? Chara let go of him and grabbed at the quilt on their bed. It was warm from their own body heat. They wiped their face with their sleeve to see that they were wearing the night shirt Toriel had knitted for them.

  
"Chara?" Asriel lifted a brow at them.

  
"What happened, Azzy? Did you do something?" They kept feeling around at everything they could reach. Touching every pillow, toy, and even the books on the night stand. They were all real. Chara looked up and flinched when they saw Toriel walking toward the bedside.

  
"Oh dear," she responded. "You must have had quite a frightening dream, my child."

  
"Y-yeah," they narrowed their eyes and clutched the quilt on their lap. "I guess I did."

  
"Should I make tea, or would you rather try to go back to sleep?" Asgore asked from the doorway. Suddenly Chara felt bad for waking everyone with their screams but, was this all real? They realized that they were afraid to go back to sleep; They may wake up surrounded by dust again.

  
"T-tea," they murmured. "Please."

  
Asgore nodded and dipped back out of the kids' room, Toriel following behind him after telling the them to come to the kitchen when they were ready. Asriel put his hand on Chara's shoulder and frowned.

  
"It's been a while since you've had an attack like that," he sighed while rubbing their shoulder.

  
"What's going on, Azzy? How did we get here?" they pressed.

  
"Uh, we went to bed like three hours ago. Mom tucked us in, remember?"

  
Chara gripped the quilt and threw it off themself, jumping down from the edge of the bed to their feet. Across the room they saw Asriel's blankets in a heap on the floor from him rushing out of bed to get to them. They turned back around to see him sitting on their bed in one whole piece. All of his limbs and fur and no trace of leaves or petals. No Flowey, only Asriel, and he didn't remember anything.

  
What the hell was going on?


End file.
